According to Aaron Bower of RL Weekly...

"Can't emphasise how big a story in the league express tomorrow. It's huge"

Anyone? Eastmond isn't that big is it?

Bit closer to home Jonny.

Penky drugs ban confirmation,

But it wasn't him, he didn't do it lol

Not exactly news is it? Or big? Everyone's known about that for months?

In fact. I'm a bit p****d off about this, he went to school with me, as did his mrs and he's got kids. What a total moron.

No great shakes. This is the modern world.

Don't think we have heard the end of this, many rumours doing the rounds

Second drugs ban in ten years. I get that at 33 it probably ends his career anyway, but is two years long enough?

Maybe he should have got himself Kieron Cunningham's lawyer.

As they always do with this sort of thing.

The anti-doping agency didn't announce it.The RFL didn't announce it.Leigh Centurions didn't announce it.

Perhaps a New Labour style cover up was happening.

Strange how it only came out when the person involved spoke to the rugby league press.

How did Ritchie Blackmore get a visa to work at Leigh when he didn't have coaching qualifications?

Did they really bring someone from the other side of the world to be 'General Manager' and assist in finding commercial partners?

Some strange goings-on in New Labour heartland.Vote Burnham!

There were quotes from our Director of Rugby in the article so I'd consider it a Leigh Centurions announcement.

I'd expect the official announcement(s) to go out today, because weekends are a bitch.



Is it? Why?

I think the RFL are probably still undergoing due process, but Leigh and/or Sean wanted to move more quickly than that to put the news out there. That's why it's a League Express exclusive.



Um... WTF has this got to do with anything?

I'm not defending Sean at all, 2 years isn't enough and it's no deterrent for other players. Should just be a life ban, full stop.

On the random Ritchey Blackmore comment, I was involved at the club when he was there and he was nothing to do with the coaching.

Leigh no matter what they do are not big news. If 20 of the squad got 'done' for drugs it wouldn't be as big news as the guy that has come out as gay this weekend.

If they are the big news maybe that tells us everything about where RL is as a sport.

A fat gobsh*te as chairman, an arrogant coach....a club that overrates itself, which has missed out on finding any form of humility.

Anyway what is the big news

I think 2 years is a just punishment for a first offence, though I do think it should increase for subsequent offences.

I wouldn't favour a life ban for 2 reasons:
1. I believe that people can make daft decisions but still deserve a second chance
2. Taking a banned substance isn't always as straight forward as people think and it can be done by accident quite easily.

In this case if he's done it before then he deserves little sympathy in terms of punishment and perhaps the punishment should increase each time you offend? So 2 years for 1st offence, then 4 years for the 2nd maybe?

Having said all that, the sport shouldn't abandon him entirely. I have no idea what his general life is like but whether he has strong family and support networks or not this is a tough time for him so his friends and the sport should look after him.